Petee d



(No Model.) P' D' & G HORTON.

PEN WIPER- Patented Aug. 23, 1887.

PM! 46 min-'e:

UNITED STATES Parent Opsione PETER D. HORTON AND GEORGE HORTON, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO FREDERICK GETOHELL, OF SAME PLAOE.

PEN WIPER.

SPECIFICATION fo-ming part of Letters Patent No. 368589, date& August 23, 188'7.

Application filed December 24, 1886. Serial No. &22,504. (No model.)

Tu all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PETER D. HORTON and GEORGE HORTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Impro ements in Pen- Wipers, of which the following is a specifica tion.

Our invention relates especially to that class of pen-wipers in which a saturated and dry sponge is employed for wiping the pen, and has for its object the production of apen-wiper wherein the wet sponge is kept constantly moistened without beconing undul y saturated with water.

To attain this end our invention consists in forming a longitudinal water-chaniber invone side of the inkstand and a vertically bored Well containing the saturated sponge adjacent thereto. Within the former, near the outer end, is placed a cork or stopper, the well and chanber connunicating with each other by a hole or water-passage in such a manner that when the eork or stopper is removed air will enter the longitudinal chamber and cause a sufficient quantity of water to pass through into the Well and saturate the sponge, the degree of saturation being governed by the length of time in which the cork or stopper is kept removed. A transverse hole is bored in one end of the inkstand or sponge-holder, with which an outer slot comnunicates containing a dry sponge.

In the drawings formngapart of this specification, Fgure l is a perspective view of an inkstand containing our pen-wiping devices. Fig. 2 is a longitudnal section through line x at, Fig. l.

Let A represent the inkstand or spongeholder, within the face of one corner of which is bored a vertical hole to form a well, B, and within the opposite end of the inkstand is bored a longitudinal hole, which forms a water-chamber, O, leaving a partition, O between the two. A passage, D, is made in the lower portion of the partition, so that a water communication is had between the well and chamber. A sponge, E, of suitable size, is placed in the opening of the well, as shown in Fig. 2, and water introduced to the chamber O and the hole connunicating therewith mad air-tight by the stopper or cork F.

When it becomes necessary to saturate the sponge, the cork is wthdrawn, which admits air to the chamber and causesa snfcientquam tity of water to pass into the well, which communicates with the lower end of the sponge, and by capillary action the entire sponge is quickly saturated, when the cork is replaced in the chamber, shutting off any further supply of water to the well. Should the cork, however,be removed a sufficicnt length of time, the water in the ehanber would be absorbed or drawn entirely out of it and pass off through the medium of the sponge and unduly saturate it, and hence only a sufiicient quantity of water need be admitted to the well to saturate the sponge from time to tine, as occasion requires.

For convenience in forning thelongitudinal chamber and communicating passage between it and the well, especially when Wood is employed for the inkstand or sponge-holder, a plug, G, may be inserted at the outer end of the chanber, as shown.

Transversely with the longitudinal chamber and well is made a bore-hole, H, in the top'of which is cut a conmunicating slot, H in which a dry sponge or wiper is compressed and held therein, by which the pen is wiped dry after it has been passed over the wet sponge.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The herein described penwiper, composed of block A, having an airtight waterchamber, O, with a stopper, F, a sponge-containing well adjacent thereto, said well and chanber being separated by a partition having a water-passage therein, and the drysponge holder consisting of a transverselybored hole, H, and a vertically-cut slot, H oonrnunicating with said hole, substantially as described.

2. In a pen-wiper, the dry-sponge holder, which consists of the transversely-bored hole or opening made in the end of the block containing a pen-wiper or ink-holder and a vertically-cut slot communicating therewith, in the nanner and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands and seals.

PETER D. HORTON. [L. s.] GEORGE HORTON. [L s.] Witnesses:

` C. W. M. SMITH,

CHAS. E. KELLY.

IOO 

